Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, Book 2) [ABRIDGED] [AUDIOBOOK] (Audio Cassette)

by Timothy Zahn (Author), Anthony Heald (Reader)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Grand Admiral Thrawn, long believed dead, has returned. Civil war is imminent in the New Republic. And what--or who--is the Hand of Thrawn? Vision of the Future is the conclusion of the two-part Hand of Thrawn series, written by Timothy Zahn, Hugo Award-winning author of the original trilogy based on the Star Wars films. The book is read by Tony Award-nominee Anthony Heald, who uses his theatrical talents to perform everything from love scenes to fight scenes as the story unfolds. His range of voices--from the "distinctive, somewhat prissy" voice of C-3PO to the gruff cynicism of Han Solo--is complemented by selections from John Williams's score and sound effects from the Star Wars films. (Running time: 3 hours, 2 cassettes) --C.B. Delaney

Review
Praise for the Star Wars(r) novels of Timothy Zahn:

Specter Of The Past:

"Zahn returns splendidly to the ranks of Star Wars authors...absorbing reading. Label this one 'not just for Star Wars fans'--for sure!"
--Booklist

Heir To The Empire:

"Moves with a speed-of-light pace that captures the spirit of the movie trilogy so well, you can almost hear John Williams's soundtrack."
--The Providence Sunday Journal

Dark Force Rising:

"Zahn has perfectly captured the pace and flavor of the Star Wars movies. This is space opera at its best."
--The Sunday Oklahoman

The Last Command:

"Filled with characteristic Star Wars technology and cosmic battles...the detail and plot development far exceed what are possible in a two-hour movie."
--The Indianapolis Star -- Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Random House Audio (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553479210
• ISBN-13: 978-0553479218
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (331 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #927,146 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 2 in The Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Force is Strong with this One, December 6, 1999

By	John (Cambridge, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars: Vision of the Future (Hardcover)

Some of these reviews are great; they really are. Almost as good as reading the book itself. Its good to see that so many readers get so emotionally attached to the characters; emphasised particularly well with the war of words between Mara and Callista fans. And to think that the two women didn't even feature in the movies. People seem to either love or hate the outcome, and that is always a sign of a great novel. Personally, I loved the outcome!

As with any good SW novel, there is plenty of sci-fi action and plot enhancement here, but it does however take a back seat to character development. Yes, this is very much a character-driven novel; in particular with Jade and Skywalker (still can't get over how cool this name is!). OK, so the issue of the dynamic duo getting married is perhaps the worst kept secret on the Internet, but what makes this such compelling reading is down to the way in which Zahn executes this theme. There were so many barriers existing between the two, not to mention the emotional turmoil and personal demons which needed to be overcome before they could establish a relationship.

I also loved the way Zahn resolved the Lando/Mara issue without making Lando come across as the bad guy. For all his faults, Lando is a key figure in the SW universe and deserves positive attention, and it was nice to see him lead the Republic forces at the end against those nasty Imperial Star Destroyers.

It was also interesting to note that one or two readers felt too much of the novel was taken up by Luke and Mara. I wonder why they thought this; I for one would not have minded in the slightest had the entire book only consisted of these two characters. And lets face it people, we would have even willingly seen the Empire win if it meant Luke and Mara getting together in the process.

There is not much I can say to fault this novel, but there is one little aspect which affected me on a purely personal level and one which I felt we could have done without. I am referring to the smuggler's tale of the titanic battle between a dark Jedi and Yoda. I have always believed that Lucas depicted Yoda as the apotheosis of all that is Jedi with the exception of using the force to do battle. We did not see the little master fight in any movie and I firmly believe we will not do so in episodes 2 and 3, because to do so would degrade the single most unique character of the Star Wars universe. Therefore I felt Zahn could have easily omitted this part without detriment to the quality of the story. However this is just one minor flaw on a purely personal level.

On another personal level, as a huge Mara fan (who can never again watch "Return of the Jedi" in the same manner!), I thoroughly enjoyed the new insights we got to see in Mara. For example, other peoples' opinion of her matters greatly to her (such as Han's impression when seeing her wearing Lando's shirt). Moreover, the fact that (and why) she has never been in a relationship before was shrewdly fabricated and written. Its amazing how much a person can change in ten years. And she "highly respected and cared" for Luke during all those years (a fact which is also emphasised in Stackpole's "I, Jedi"). Needless to say, Zahn executed this character development flawlessly (I still think she is his best creation; better even than Thrawn - and that's saying something!). While on the subject, I'm very troubled by the comments referring to Mara's death in the future. It is blatantly obvious (from the word "forever" among other things) that Zahn intends both Mara and Luke to have a long, happy and prosperous future together and I hope other authors will respect his wishes when writing subsequent novels. Incidentally, there have been very few comments made about the picture of Mara on the cover art of this novel. There are so many disparate images of her around these days; however this is the one I like best and if this is how Zahn invisaged his enchantress turned Jedi Knight, then its good enough for me.

Apologies for using the term "Mara" 9 times (now 10!) in this review. What can I say? I'm just a humble fan!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, November 7, 2001

By	John Rossi (Somers Point, NJ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Where do I begin? I have often thought that the first trilogy Mr. Zahn wrote was the best of any post "Return Of The Jedi" Star-Wars story written. His return here is spectacular. The usual political intrigue and fast paced battles abound, described as only Mr. Zahn could do it. I loved the fact that Jedi Master Luke Skywalker still had to be a "student" about some things was refreshing and made for a great read. The interplay between Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade is BEAUTIFULLY written and made me smile, cheer... and yes... even cry, and I am not ashamed of admitting this. (Yes, men can cry too. :) ))
If you liked Zahn's first Star Wars trilogy (Heir To The Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command), you OWE it to yourself to get this book. Enjoy another visit to a galaxy far, far away. Mr. Zahn is an excellent tour guide as this work proves.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YAHOO! LUKE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE!, January 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

man, luke finally got his head on, if you ask me. Callista was too fickle and , forgive me, old. The girl who started with a G, well, luke was a little not himself then. until i read this, i thought luke and callista should have gotten together. mara and luke make a great team. their little welding thing made it not at all mushy, something perfect for someone who loves Star Wars adn all it's action, and is not too keen on romance. that would be me. thank you, zahn! now, all the other stuff was okay, but you have to understand that those were delicate politics. i loved the look into coruscant and new republic and bothan (?) politics. the whole chiss thing was cool, too. i didn't sweat through it. it's really different from his first trilogy, but it still has zahn's fingerprints and signature and name and all whatnot all over it. i'm a fan of luke and i think he finally got his head on straight. all in all a good book, but you have to appreciate and understand a few politics to enjoy the 300 pages full of it. more a read for adults, but kids can love it, too!